Russian tennis star Anna Kalinskaya delivered a masterclass 🎾 on Thursday, defeating home favorite Yue Yuan in straight sets (6-3, 6-3) to secure her spot in the WTA Ningbo Open quarterfinals. The world No. 12, fresh off an early exit in Wuhan last week, showed no signs of hesitation as she dominated from the first serve.
Kalinskaya broke Yuan's serve late in the first set after a costly unforced error by the Chinese player, then never looked back. Her aggressive baseline play and sharp angles left the crowd in awe 🚀. 'I knew I had to stay focused,' Kalinskaya said post-match. 'Yuan is a fighter, but I wanted to control the tempo.'
Yuan, celebrating her 26th birthday this week, rallied briefly in the second set but couldn't match Kalinskaya's precision. The Russian, who made her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at this year's Australian Open, continues to shine as one of the WTA's rising stars 🌟.
Up next? A high-stakes clash with Karolina Muchova. Will Kalinskaya keep her China swing momentum alive? 🤔 Stay tuned!
